‘No move to drop secular, socialist from Preamble': Govt amid calls to revisit inclusion of terms
Responding to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman, Union minister of state (independent charge) for law and justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said that no formal decision or proposal has been made on the matter.
Meghwal acknowledged the 2024 Supreme Court observation that socialism reflects India's welfare state status and secularism forms part of the Constitution's basic structure. He underlined the difference between public discourse and official policy, stating, 'Regarding the atmosphere created by office bearers of some social organisations, it is possible that certain groups are expressing opinions or advocating for reconsideration of these words… but this does not necessarily reflect the official stance or actions of the government.'
The remarks come amid ongoing calls by some public figures and BJP leaders to revisit the inclusion of the two terms, added during the Emergency in 1976. Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar called the insertion a 'betrayal' of the Constitution's original vision. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma echoed similar sentiment. And Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said a debate should be held on the relevance of the two terms. 'During the Emergency, the country had no functioning Parliament, no rights, no judiciary and yet these two words were added,' he said at an event in Delhi on June 26. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also criticised the terms as not being a reflection of India's cultural values.
The remarks sparked sharp political pushback. 'The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism and justice,' Rahul Gandhi said on X. Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP and RSS of pushing for a new Constitution, despite electoral rejection of such ideas. 'The RSS and BJP have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution. This was (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's campaign cry during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The people decisively rejected this cry... yet demands for changing the basic structure of the Constitution continue,' he said.
Meghwal concluded in his response that any amendment to the Preamble would require broad consensus, and that no such process is currently underway. 'Any discussions regarding amendments to the preamble would require thorough deliberation and broad consensus, but as of now, the government has not initiated any formal process to change these provisions.'
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